1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a mechanically bound book having an exterior which wraps around the pages and presents a flat spine. In addition, the present invention relates to a method for binding such a flat-spined, mechanically bound book.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are many choices available for binding a book and each choice presents its own advantages and disadvantages over competitive binding processes. For example, case binding is appropriate for high-quality, hard cover books, but is fairly expensive and generally appropriate for large volume production run, relatively high priced books. Saddle stitching and perfect binding represent a low cost alternative to case binding and are often used in high volume, high speed production.
A major disadvantage of such typical high volume bindings is that the bound books cannot be opened to lay flat. There are many different types of books in which it is important that the bound book can be opened and will lay flat. For example, calendars, cookbooks, diaries, appointment books, exercise books and notebooks. In addition, computer manuals are an important new category of books in which the user demands a book that will lay flat when opened. In such uses where it is necessary that the book lay flat, "mechanical binding" has become popular.
Mechanical binding is generally regarded as a binding process which uses a mechanical device to secure the pages on the cover of the book without the use of gluing, stitching, or sewing. Mechanical binding is particularly advantageous in that such books, when opened, will lay flat. Mechanical binding is somewhat at a disadvantage in that it is costly; however, mechanical binding can be efficiently utilized in low volume production runs.
"Mechanical binding" usually refers to books having as binding elements: (1) a continuous length of metal or plastic wire; or (2) cut and formed plastic combs. Plastic combs are useful for very low volume applications where the pages and cover are punched and the comb attached by hand. On the other hand, wire binding (either metal or plastic) is more adept for automated operation. There are many different types of wire binding, with the spiral wire or double loop type being the most popular. The double loop (sometimes referred to as "open loop" or "double wire") has some advantages over spiral wires in that it maintains registration of the pages cross the gutter. This might be an important feature where a large number of illustrations are involved in the book. Many types of double loop bindings are available, such as "Wire-O" and "Double-O" from James Burn International, Poughkeepsie, New York. "Wire-O" basically takes a C-shaped wire from a spool, cuts it to proper length, and binds it into the sheet holes.
The spiral type wire bindings basically involve either metal wire or plastic coil devices which use a special, belt or roller driven spiraling machine to thread the coil through the holes punched in the book. There are many different types of such spirals, such as "Plastikoil" manufactured by Gateway Publishing Co., Ltd. of Manitoba, Canada.
While these various types of mechanical bindings are advantageous in that when opened, such mechanically bound book will lay flat, nevertheless, a major disadvantage is the appearance of the spine of such books. That is, many users desire a spine on which information can be printed to identify the book when it is on the shelf. While some of the mechanical binding devices, such as the plastic combs, can be printed (such as by screen printing) this is an expensive and difficult process. Further, most of the mechanical binding devices that present a spine surface for printing, to some degree restrict the opening of the book. Further, some of the mechanical binding devices are not as sturdy as necessary for regular use. When the environment for a typical mechanically bound book is considered--such as heavily used cook books, computer manuals, etc.--then the necessity of mechanical binding to provide a structure compatible with heavy usage is readily appreciated.
One approach has been to use a mechanical binding, such as a spiral wire or loop, to secure the book contents to the back cover. In such a book, the binding typically connects to the back cover at two locations and the front cover wraps around the contents. The resulting book is deficient in that the front cover is loose or "floppy" relative to the contents, and additionally, is easily collapsed if stacked. Thus, such a book is not particularly well suited for heavy usage.
Therefore, it would be a significant advance in the art if a mechanically bound book were devised which not only withstood heavy usage, but provided a rigid, flat spine which was easily printed using conventional printing techniques.